Whidden case ends in plea deal

Wednesday

Mar 5, 2014 at 11:23 AM

Ryan Whidden pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and is sentenced to 10 years in jail

Julie Sherwood

Ryan Whidden pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on Wednesday in Ontario County Court, ending a case that presiding Ontario County Court Judge William Kocher called “a very troubling matter.”Whidden was sentenced to 10 years in jail for the felony; the sentence also includes five years of post-release supervision. In addition, an order of protection for Whidden’s wife, Nina Whidden, is in place for 18 years from the date of Ryan’s arrest on March 11, 2013.The “victim’s well-being” was the sole reason for this outcome, Assistant District Attorney Jason MacBride, who prosecuted the case, said after court adjourned Wednesday morning.On Tuesday, a frail and often emotional Nina Whidden took the stand, recounting disturbing details of her life with Ryan Whidden and the events of March 11, 2013 and the days and months prior. Nina suffers from multiple sclerosis.“We agreed to have (Ryan Whidden) plead guilty to the weapons charge in full satisfaction of the other charges,” MacBride said. That essentially puts the kidnapping and other charges to rest and Ryan waived his right to an appeal, which MacBride said “gives the victim certainty we will not litigate in the future.”Ryan Whidden, 32, was indicted on the charges of second-degree kidnapping and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, as well as two counts of third-degree criminal mischief in the case that brought a swarm of police agencies and emergency vehicles to the village of Victor’s Jacobs Landing neighborhood and the Whidden home at 34 Ketchum St. Ryan was alleged to have barricaded Nina in a closet for 11 hours during a nearly 12-hour standoff with law enforcement.“Sometimes we have to balance a victim’s welfare with prosecuting someone to the fullest extent of the law,” MacBride said